SwANTON] INDIANS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 307 



Baskett which taketh upp the best parte of sum of ther bowses, and all this 

 is cheefly the weomens worke for the men doe only bunt to gett skinns in 

 winter and doe tewe or dress them in summer. 



But though now out of order yet let me not altogither forgett the settinge 

 of y* Kings [i. e., Powhatan's] corne for which a day is apoynted wherin 

 great part of y® cuntry people meete who with such diligence worketh as for 

 the most part all y^ Kinges corne is sett on a daye. After which setting the 

 Kinge takes the croune which y* Kinge of England sent him beinge brought 

 him by tow men, and setts it on his heade which dunn the people goeth about 

 the corne in maner backwardes for they going before, and the king followinge 

 ther faces are always toward the Kinge exspectinge when he should flinge 

 sum beades amonge them which his custom is at that time to doe makinge 

 thos which had wrought to scramble for them. But to sume he fauors he bids 

 thos that carry his Beades to call such and such unto him unto whome he 

 giueth beads into ther hande and this is the greatest curtesey he doth his 

 people, when his come is ripe the cuntry people cums to him againe and gath- 

 ers drys and rubbes out all his corne for him, which is layd in bowses apoynted 

 for that purpose. (Spelman in Arber, 1884, pp. cxi-cxii.) 



The following accounts of Smith and Strachey cover the same 

 ground, but differ somewhat in details. 

 Smith : 



They make a hole in the earth with a sticke, and into it they put 4 graines 

 of wheat [i. e., corn] and 2 of beanes. These holes they make 4 foote one 

 from another. Their women and children do continually keepe it with weed- 

 ing, and when it is growne middle high, they hill it about like a hop-yard. 

 (Smith, Tyler ed., 1907, pp. 95-96.) 



Strachey : 



They make a hole in the earth with a stick, and into yt they put three or 

 five graines of wheat, and one or three of beanes: these holes they make four 

 or five foot one from another, for the corne being set close together, one stalke 

 would choak ells the growth of another, and so render both unprofitable. 

 Their women and children do contynually keep the ground with weeding, and 

 when the corne is growne middle high, they hill yt about like a hoppeyard. 

 (Strachey, 1849, pp. 117-118.) 



Beverley's contact with the Virginia Indians was also suffi- 

 ciently early for him to speak from observation : 



All these Sorts [of corn] are planted alike, in Rows, Three, Four or Five 

 Grains in a Hill, the larger Sort at Four or Five Foot Distance, the lesser 

 Sort nearer. The Indians used to give it One or Two Weedings, and make 

 a Hill about it, and so the Labour was done. They likewise plant a Bean 

 in the same Hill with the Corn, upon whose stalk it sustains itself. (Beverley, 

 1705, bk. 2, p. 29.) 



Catesby has the following to say of corn and its cultivation, from 

 which it appears that he either includes flint and flour corn under 

 one head or intends to indicate but one of them : 



Of this grain there are reckoned two sorts, differing in stature, largeness 

 of the spike and grain, and different time of ripening, besides accidental 

 variety in the colours of the grain. The largest is cultivated in Virginia and 



